Executor of



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L. A.' TAYLGR, Executor. MAGHINE FOR DIGGING SEWEBS, 50.

Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LUCIAN' A. TAYLOR, OF VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, EXEOUTOR OF RICHARDFOBES, DEOEASED.

MACHINE FOR DIGGING SEWERS, 80G.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,486, dated February9, 1892. Application tiled June l, 1891. Serial No. 394,744. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that RicHARD FoBEs, deceased, late a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Worcester, in the county of Vtforcester and State ofMassachusetts, did invent a new and useful Machine for Breaking Out orDigging Sewers and Cutting Trenches through Rocks, Hard Earth, dsc., ofwhich the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is aspeciiication sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable personsskilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and usethe same.

The object of the present invention is to provide an efficient mechanismfor use in eX- cavating trenches for sewers and other like operations,and more particularly designed for breaking up and loosening hard earthor rock, so that it can readily be removed, and to obviate the necessityof blasting with powder or other explosive compounds.

Another object is to provide in mechanism for the purpose stated apendulous guide, in combination with a sliding drop-hammer or ramcarrying a rock-cutter and means for shifting said guide for deliveringthe blow of the ram or hammer at such position as may be desired,

Another object is to provide in an apparatus yfor the purpose named, incombination with the ram or hammer,a pendent guide or leaderhavingfacilities for its extension or upward and downward adj ustmeut,whereby its point of delivery can be made to accommodate to the depth ofthe excavation.

These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated and described,the particular subject-matter claimed being hereinafter definitelyspecified.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of the improved apparatus.Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of theleader and plan of the front portion of the frame. Fig. et is atransverse horizontal section of the pendent guide or leader and slidinghammer, showing details ofk construction of the several parts; and Fig.5 is a sectional view showing a manner for adjustably connecting thetackle-attaching band to the leader.

The improved machine is shown as applied to use in cutting a sewertrenchin rock-bed.

Referring to parts, A denotes the frame or derrick, which is preferablycomposed of two tall timbers or standard-pieces inwardly inclined towardtheir top, supported at their foot on the sills c a, and suitably bracedto give the desired strength and rigidity. The

sills a are suitably extended at the rear of the derrick and connectedby transoms or cross-bars, so as to carry a platform for the support ofthe winch e or hoisting mechanism and its motor-engine E, while at thefront the sills are extended, as at c3, for sustaining a rect-angularhorizontal rail or bar F, that forms an open square of about eight feetdiameter, more or less, as indicated in Fig. 8. Fixed to and connectingthe top ends of the uprights is a horizontally-disposed cross-head orplate A about four feet (more or less) in length, to the center of whichthere is connected by a universal hinging joint or by loosely-linkedring-plates, as at B, a pendulous guide 0r beam O, carrying thereon along leader or chute O', having suitable longitudinal guides c, withinwhich is mounted a heavy cast-iron drop-hammer or rain D, weighing sometwo thousand pounds, more or less, and furnished at its lower end with adigging-tool or penetrator I, as indicated.

The guidebeam C is provided with a number of guards or rigid bands l),that embrace the leader O and retain it in proper relation thereto,while permitting its longitudinal adjustment up or down on the beam C,andan adjusting-chain, differential pulley, or suitable lift-er G isarranged in connection with the parts for raising and lowering theleader O', as the depth of the trench requires. The leader O ispreferably formed with its vside pieces and guides built up, as shown,bolted through from front to rear and connected across laterally by flatplates or bars c2, so as to afford a free and open runway for the hammerD. This pendent leader or `guideway containing the hammer D can swing asa pendulum on its joint B in any direction, and its lower part isfurnished with a band M, having hinges m at the several sides, that areconnected by a series of tackles and pulley-blocks IOD L with theshiftable travelers, loops, or trolfor delivering lthe stroke of thehammer in the working. (See dotted lines, Fig. I.) The travelers f moveautomatically on the bars F and accommodate themselves to the swing ofthe -pendent guide or leader as thelatter is shifted in any direction.

The band M is best made adjustable up and down on theleader, so that itsposition thereon can be changed when desired. For this purpose the saidband M can be secured to the leader by removable bolts or set-screws,`or preferably by arranging said band, as shown in Fig. 5, to be clampedabout the leader by -means of the connecting-bolts m3 or in anyequivalent manner.

' The hammer is formed with a longitudinal opening in its lower end toreceive the cutting-tool I, which latter is best formed of rectangularsteel about three by four inches in sectional dimension, with a squareend inserted into the hammer and retained by a pin t, passed laterallythrough the parts. The lower end of the hammer is best rounded andprovided with a wrought-iron or steel hoop (l shrunk thereon. It isgrooved on its sides to match the guide-ribs c, and its upper end isfurnished with a ring j or means for attachment of the lifter or wirerope J. Said rope runs over a sheave K, supported to turn in suitablebearings upon the cross-head A', and thence down to the Winch orwinding-drum e.

The digging-tool I is made with a double inclined or pyramidal point forgeneral work or for cutting in the center of the trench, and said tool,when for work at the side of the trench or breaking off the sides of therocks, can be made witha chisel end or beveled only at one side. Thesetools can readily be exchanged by simply knocking out the pin or bolt d,then by slightlyraising the hammer allowing the tool to fall out, thenreplacing it by another tool, and reinserting the pin d.

lhe engine and winch mechanism may be of any suitable or well-knowntype, such as commonly employed for hoisting purposes, and thereforeneed not `be herein more particularly described.

The platform is best covered with a house II for inclosing andprotecting the winch, engine, and boiler, as indicated, and suitablewheels w are provided, whereby the entire apparatus is mounted upontemporary rail tracks T, laid parallel with the direction of thetrench-cutting, so that the apparatus can be advanced as the workprogresses.

In the operation, the ground for the sewer, trench, or excavation havingbeen selected, the temporary rail tracks T are laid down, upon which theapparatus can be advanced or run back, as the condition of the workrequires. The overlying earth, if any, is removed in the usual mannerdown to the rock surface. The machine is then placed with its horizontalrectangular frame F about the plot 0f ground to be worked and so thatthe pendent guide or leader will hang over the portion of rockimmediately to be excavated. The swing-tackles L are then manned and theapparat-us put into operation. The ram or ham meris drawn up to anydesired height (see dotted lines Fig. l) by the aid of the engine andwinch, and then by suitable release mechanism is allowed to drop,impinging the point of the digging-tool upon the rock, driving it intothe same by the force or impact of the heavy hammer, and shattering andbreaking up the substance by repeated blows, as may be required. Themen, by aid of the tackles L, swing the lower end of the leader to oneside or the other (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) or backwardor forward fordirecting the ram and digging-tool to any position desired, so as todeliver one or more blows in a place, changing the position ofimpingement as the different parts of the rock become crumbled andbroken away, thereby working up the material into fragments in a veryefficient, economical, and expeditious manner. When the upper stratahave been sufliciently broken up, the pendent guide is swung out of theway and the mass of the debris is removed from the trench down to theunbroken strata. The adjustable part C of the leader is then lowered toaccommodate the increased depth of the trench, and the breaking-upprocess is again repeated, as above described, thus proceeding by stagesuntil the required depth of excavation is attained, the apparatus beingmoved along the tracks as the excavation of the trench advances. rIheswinging action of the pendent guide or leader affords facility fordelivering the stroke at any point where it will be most effective,while the upward and downward adj ustmentof the leader brings the guidesand hammer into the most desirable relation, according to the stage ordepth of working at any time.

I claim as said RICHARD FOBESS invention herein to be secured by LettersPatent- 1. In a machine for the purposes specified, a pendulous guideand leader having the drop or hammer arranged to slide in the saidleader, carrying at its lower end the removable rockcutter ordigging-tool, in combination with the overhanging support to which theupper end of said guide is tleXibly connected, and means, substantiallyTas described, for operating said hammer, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for the purpose specified, the combination,substantially as described, of the upright supporting-frame, the pendentleader or guide connected thereto by a univer sal hinge, a ram or hammercarrying the rock-v cutter or digging-tool at its lower end and Iittedto slide in said leader, the lifter-rope and hoisting mechanism forraising said hammer, and means for swinging the lower end of said guideto different positions, substann tially as and for the purpose setforth.

IOO

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3. The combination, substantially as de- Y scribed, of thesupporting-frame, the pendent guide-frame universally hinged thereto,the

longitudinally-adjustable leader mounted on said guide-frame, mea-ns foreffecting and holding the endwise adjustment of said leader, the drop orhammer arrangedv to slide Within said leader and carrying therock-cutting tool, and the lifter-rope, guide-sheave, and winding-drumfor raisingsaid hammer, as set forth.

4. The co mbination, with the guiding-leader having longitudinal guidestherein, of the hammeriitted to slide in said guides and provided at itslower end with the reinforce-hoop and having the rock-cutter ordigging-tool I removably supported in an opening in the hammer-body andconfined by a bolt or pin i, and the rope and Winding mechanism forlifting and dropping said hammer, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

5. The combination, substantially as described, of a pendent swingingguide or leader C C', universally jointed to the overheadsupporting-frame, the ram or hammer D, carrying the rock-cutting tool I,arranged to slide in said swinging guide, the horizontal curbbars at thelower part of the frame, theseries of tackles L, attached to saidswinging guide at different sides thereof and to loops or trolleys f onthe respective curb-bars, and means, as described, for raising anddropping said hammer, for the purposes set forth.

6. The pendent guide-frame C, having the bands Z), the hammer guide orleader C', composed of side pieces and guide-ribs c, connected by thecross-bars c2, supported lby and endwise adjustable Within saidguide-frame bands, and the adj ustingchain G, connecting said leader andits guide-frame, in combination with the hammer D, carrying thecuttingtool I,l and the supporting-frame A A', substantially as setforth. A

7. The combination, With the pendulous guide-frame having theVendwise-adjustable leader C', the curb-bars F, and swing-tackles L, ofthe hoop or band M, with the attaching devices m, adapted for adjustmentup or down on said leader, for the purposes set forth.

Witness my hand this 22d day of May, A. D.

LUCIAN A. TAYLOR, Execute?" of the will of Richard Fobes, cleceased.Vitnesses:

CHAs. H. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUs.

